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A collection · Places to eat

Scotland's Best Cocktail Bars

Scotland has never had more good places to drink a cocktail, from basement bars with a list that changes with the seasons to hotel bars where the whisky sour is a thing of beauty. These are the ones worth dressing up for.

Curated and written by Hidden Scotland

Updated 22 September 2026.

Scotland has never had more good places to drink a cocktail. There are basement bars with lists that change with the seasons, hotel bars where the whisky sour is a thing of beauty, and small rooms in the cities where the bartender makes the syrups.

We've rounded up our favourite cocktail bars across the country, from the big cities to a surprise or two on Skye. These are the ones worth dressing up for, and on a Friday night you'll want to book.

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